These look interesting...Nail Rock AW Collection

I've not tried Nail Rock before so can't vouch for them but must admit, I'm finding some of these designs rather tempting (well all of these except the dalmation one really, which I know is a print that's in fashion at the moment but I'm just not that keen!) and the imagery that goes with them is gorgeous!

Britney Spears Believe Eau De Parfum

I have a confession to make - I quite like Britney Spears' perfumes. And whilst Ms Spears hasn't exactly been setting the charts on fire of late, Fantasy will always have a special place in my heart with its ridiculously sweet aroma and tacky pink bottle. But I don't think this perfume was ever on my radar (which I'm sure is a Britney Spears album track actually) - probably because it doesn't look like its slightly more lurid cousins (Fantasy and Radiance, I'm looking at you) and actually it doesn't smell like them either, it smells much more fresh and light. Overall this is a really nice "everyday" perfume and I think it looks much better than previous Britney perfumes, and much less aimed at teenage people.

This was an unexpected birthday present, and I'm glad I got it!

Leighton Denny Nail Colour - Supermodel and On The Rocks

I fell in love with a bottle of Supermodel my mam had so she got me one for my birthday - plus she also gave me a bottle of On The Rocks and a Leighton Denny glass nail file which was an amazing bonus.

Supermodel is a really lovely glossy medium grey, great coverage and excellent performance-wise. Just the kind of colour and formula I like. On The Rocks looks quite similar in the bottle but when you look closely and swatch it, it isn't. OTR has a much more brown base and actually has a really fine shimmer running through it. It's not a colour I have much of in my collection and I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I saw it, but I really like it and will definately wear it.

As I'm sure I've said before, I love Leighton Denny polishes so this was a pretty ace present for me. My mam knows me too well - actually, she's even worse for buying beauty products than I am. She uses Creme de la Mer for gods sake!

Tangle Teezer

As I mentioned in my post the other day, my hairdresser used a Tangle Teezer on my hair and I liked it so much I bought one - I seem to have lost my normal hairbrush and I've been using this awful, horrible one that I found in my drawer that I can literally feel pulling my hair out.

I bought this from Boots for about £10 and I'm so pleased I did - it goes through dry or wet hair really easily without pulling or taking much hair out of my head at all. I also like that it's pink, though it does look a little bit like a horsebrush. It's plastic and the bristles are all different lengths so it gets through all your hair (which is a godsend when your hair is quite thick like mine).

I know I'm a little bit late on this as loads of people have already discovered Tangle Teezer but I'd definately recommend this. On a side note, I didn't realise this was a product that was on Dragons Den (a programme I'm addicted to) and didn't get investment - just goes to show that a setback doesn't mean the end! I'm really pleased with this brush and have already raved about it to a few people, despite having reservations about it just being a gimmick when I first heard about it.

Entity One Colour Couture Gel Enamel "Not Off The Rack"

Since it was my birthday yesterday (25, eek!), I decided to treat myself a bit to a day of pampering and tried out a new nail place and a different hairdresser to the one I tried last time. I moved house about 6 months ago so I'm kind of trialling various salons in the new area to find one I want to stick with!

I ended up getting gel/polish done on my fingers, a deluxe pedicure with paraffin wax plus I got a half head of highlights at the hair place. Firstly, I really liked the hairdressers, which is unusual for me! The stylist was really nice, not pushy at all (i.e. trying to force me to get my hair cut) but obviously knew her stuff and I was pleased with the colour at the end. She also used Bedhead products (which I always love because they smell so nice, I might have to invest) and a Tangle Teezer on my hair, which I now want - the brush I currently use is awful, I can feel it ripping at my hair!

But onto the nail stuff...I got Entity Colour Couture Gel Enamel on my fingers in "Not Off The Rack", a gorgeous bright coral which is slightly more pink than my camera has picked up below. I'm interested to see how it fares over the 2 weeks it's meant to last and how easy it is to remove, especially compared to Shellac.

I also got a deluxe pedicure and had normal polish on my toes - OPI "Louvre Me Louvre Me Not", a gorgeous deep purple which I now really want. If you haven't had a paraffin wax pedicure before, I'd definately recommend it.

All in all I'm pleased with both new salons and in the words of Arnie - I'll be back!

Prada Candy 80ml Eau de Parfum

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I have the perfume tastes of a 13 year old girl - I love anything sweet, fruity or citrusy and tend to dislike anything too floral. So, when I heard about Prada Candy I scoured the internet for it, asked my boyfriend for it for my birthday even though it wasn't even out at that point and furiously googled release dates. All without actually ever smelling it.

I picked it up soon after its release for a pretty good price. Firstly, I don't like the box that it comes in, it just looks a bit childlike and cheap to me and if I saw it in a shop I probably wouldn't bother.

The bottle is something else entirely, it's gorgeous and looks expensive - I love the pink mixed with the silver Prada logo, and even like the part that sprays out the perfume (not sure I've ever said that before!), it looks gorgeous on my dressing table (you can see Beyonce Heat and YSL Elle Limited Edition on there too, amongst other things).


Now, for the smell. I'm no perfume buff but apparently it contains white musk, benzoin and caramel, all of which I can smell in this. It is sweet but not overtly so (like Britney Spears Fantasy etc) and definately has a hint of powderiness to it without it being overpowering or too strong. I've heard people compare it to Aquolino Pink Sugar and I'd definately agree with this but I think Prada Candy is nicer and more subtle, as well as being much nicer visually - which I'd expect for the price really.

Word of warning, it does come out of the bottle with some first so don't start spraying it too liberally or you may find yourself a bit doused!

Batiste XXL

is officially now my favourite Batiste/dry shampoo. I like that it's a bigger size than previous cans of Batiste and I love the volumising effect that it gives, I prefer the white Batistes so it ticks a box from me there too. I also don't mind the smell - compared to some of the other Batistes it doesn't actually smell of anything. It's really helped me with updo's as well, as I tend to suit hairstyles with a lot of volume at the crown/roots and this has meant my arm hasn't got quite as stiff as backcombing for ages!

I've also found it really good for disguising my gingery roots after my misdemeanors with John Frieda's lightening spray!

John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray

Following on from my Blonde Ambition post last month, I promised a better review on this product after I'd used it a bit more. I've now used it on 5 occassions (you should see results in 3-5 according) so here goes.

The formula contains citrus and chamomile to lighten hair and also includes thermo-protectant. The packaging explains how to use it and recommends that you'll see a difference in 3-5 uses...but then uses picture examples that show the changes in 10 uses. Good one, John Frieda. I bought mine from Boots on a 3 for 2.

My 5 applications were mainly focused on my parting as I had recently had highlights but because I'd left it so long between appointments, you could still see a bit of my original colour so I wanted to lighten it up. My natural colour is dark blonde according to hairdressers (I prefer the term "mousy brown") and I tend to get it lightened up quite a bit to a light blonde.

First application
No real change to the colour at my roots - maybe a slight difference but I couldn't decide if it had changed really.

Second application
This was where I started to worry a smidge. The parts of my natural colour at my roots were looking decidedly warm...as in orangey, which is not the desired result. Never mind, I thought it might still lighten up (pray, pray, pray, hope, hope, hope).

Third application
No change from the second application, even after the fourth and fifth application, my roots where my original colour was were ginger. Argh! And the blonde was no lighter whatsoever. And having my boyfriend say he never knew I was ginger, based on my roots was not the plan.

The Good

1. Clear instructions for how to do highlights, roots or all over lightening


2. Fairly cheap and easy to find in Boots


3. Citrusy scent when applying


4. Contains thermo-protectant which I feel is a must for the amount of heat this product wants you to add to your hair

The Bad

1. I didn't like using all this heat on my hair - particularly at the roots. It actually recommends the more heat you use, the better.


2. My hair felt kind of...crispy after using this which was a bit gross


3. Apparently my hair smelled weird after using this


4. Quite a small bottle...
   
   

So all in all, this isn't a miracle product. It isn't recommended for any hair that's medium brown or darker (in rememberance of my ill-fated dabbles with Sun-In as a teenager, I wouldn't recommend trying it) and it won't give you platinum locks overnight. But as an emergency touch up for people who already have light/blonde hair or for a very subtle lightening it's probably ok. I don't think I'll be buying this again though, I just didn't like the colour it made my hair at all. I am interested in trying the John Frieda precision foam though.

On a side note, does anyone remember a really similar John Frieda product that was out about10 years ago as part of their Beach Blonde range (they also did a gold shimmer creme and a salt spray)? It was a lightening gel that did the same thing as this product does and even smelled the same? It was a godsend for me in the final years of secondary school but no-one else seems to remember it! I actually would prefer the gel version to the spray I think as I preferred the application.

Ojon Hydrating Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

I've used Ojon products before and been impressed, especially with their restorative treatment so I decided to take the mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner I had on my holidays with me. Sadly, I really didn't like either product.

The packaging is typical Ojon, quite minimalist and natural looking. The shampoo lathered well but I didn't feel it smelled particularly nice (it wasn't awful either, it just smelled a bit boring), the conditioner was bright green which I found a bit offputting and felt really thick so I ended up using loads of it to cover my hair. After use, I found my hair was really really tangled and hard to get a brush through - then when I had dried my hair it felt really quite dry and fuzzy. Any "thickening" effect was due to the fact my hair was frizzy and like a bush! There was definately no "hydrating" effect which I found surprising, my hair really needs a good moisturising shampoo/conditioner and this definately wasn't it.

All in all, I'm glad I didn't splash out on the full size versions of these as I think they'd just be languishing unused in a drawer somewhere. They served a purpose on holiday though and I had no qualms about chucking the remainder at the end of the holiday, which is a nice change!

OPI Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Sorry I seem to be having a bit of a nail moment here at the minute, particularly with OPI stuff! I was a bit disappointed with this at the first coat because I thought "oh boring, another layering polish" but a few more coats and the base came through (a little pinker than in these pics) and I love it! I'd describe it as a baby pink glitter polish with larger pieces of holo glitter suspended in it. Gorgeous!

This was actually pretty hardwearing on the nail and lasted about a week without looking too shabby (unless you looked close), and as you would expect it was an absolute nightmare to remove!

OPI Nail Apps - Hearts

I'm a massive fan of Minx and overall have preferred it to any other nail coverings I've tried but when I spotted these on ASOS I was really interested! The design reminds me of a set of nails WAH do, and I always fancied getting/trying myself, only this way the design is perfect and much easier.The plastic backing and instructions that these come with are very Minx inspired. The instructions are that you apply them just with heat from your finger (as Minx have patented the lamp application method and I suppose as these aren't sold as a pro product, not everyone will have a nail lamp knocking around) after trimming to the correct size then file away the excess. This was fairly straightforward, though they felt a bit more plastic than the Minx I've used and it was harder to twist the excess away from the nail.

I didn't want to go too OTT with the design so I just used the nail app on my ring finger and put China Glaze Ruby Pumps on my others. What do you think? I didn't find application as easy as Minx but then again they're not a pro product.

I used a discount code with these so they weren't £13.80 which I feel is quite expensive for something so temporary. Some of the other designs are in the ASOS sale now and are more like £6 which I think is a lot more reasonable. OPI say that these last 1-2 days and it did but I think this would have been less if it had been on my right hand or my thumb.

I quite like the Star, Peacock and Skull design too. Interestingly, Minx have also brought out a heart and a star design, which I personally don't think are as nice. I also noticed that even Primark has jumped on the nail coverings bandwagon now too, I was tempted to pick some up but the queue was so huge I just couldn't be bothered for the sake of spending so little.

OPI Nice Stems Collection - Mini Pack

After seeing pictures of these minis I decided I would probably like all the colours so I went for it. As you can see, the packaging the minis came in was so cute, I actually felt guilty throwing it away!

L-R: Play the Peonies, I Lily Love You, Come to Poppy, Be a Dahlia Won't You

My favourite in the packaging was I Lily Love You, a light pink sheer polish with a variety of glitter in it. On the nail it would probably be better as a layering glitter polish really due to how sheer it actually was, I think over another pink this would be really nice. Come to Poppy has come up a little more orange in the swatches than it appears in real life, it's definately more of a coral than a true pink though and I think this is what my camera is picking up. I liked Be A Dahlia Won't You but I this is the kind of bright pink colour that I've had a million of in my collection over the years, nothing new - it does have a hint of shimmer to it, which I find OPI do so well. I was surprised that I quite liked Play The Peonies - OPI describe it as a soft pink, I'd say it was a pearlised white with maybe the tiniest hint of pink or lavendar. It actually applied really well for its finish as well with no streaking or dragging.

I think the OPI mini sets are a great way to try different polishes or a whole collection, especially if you like to wear different polishes a lot, it's an affordable way of doing it.

No 7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour - Candy Pink

I've not tried that many No 7 cosmetics before (I always spend my £5 vouchers on their eye make up remover) but when I think about it, the stuff I've tried has always impressed me. And this blusher is no exception - it's really soft, lasts well and is a lovely wearable baby pink colour. Just the kind of blush colour I like, not too bright or too natural and nice and matte with no shimmer.

I'd definately recommend this and would buy another No 7 blusher in future. I preferred this to Benefit Bella Bamba which was more than twice the price!

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - 01 Intense Black

I've not really tried gel eyeliner before so thought I'd pick this up - it comes with the gel and the brush applicator so I thought it would be a good starting point. I'm an eyeliner fiend but I tend to either use a liner brush and black shadow or a liquid liner pen. Sorry for the stock photo by the way, I managed to clag everything up before I remembered to take a photo.

Overall, I didn't really like this. The pros were: it's a really intense black and lasted well throughout the day (though there were a few little "crumbs" that flaked off during the day), plus doing flicks at the end of my lids was quite easy. The cons: the brush really (or maybe my technique), it felt a bit hard/stiff and I found it a bit difficult to do thin lines on my eyelid. My eyelashes are short so I like daytime eyeliner to be quite thin so you can actually see my eyelashes - trying to apply this thinly looked a bit odd and patchy like I'd applied it with a toothpick or something.

I wouldn't repurchase this mainly because I didn't like the brush, I'll continue to use it for nights out but probably with a different brush - I think I do prefer the look of powder or pen liner though. If I did purchase a gel liner in future, I'd purchase that and the brush seperately so I could do a little bit of quality control brush-wise.

Models Own 50% off sale...

If Models Own get 50,000 likes on Facebook by 31st August 2011, they're going to have a 50% off sale as well as the chance to win £5,000 worth of prizes along the way!

I love Models Own (especially the nail polishes) at their usual price so 50% off is amazing! If you're not already a Facebook fan of Models Own, make sure you like their page before the end of August. It's for the greater good!

Little bit of a product rave...Revlon Photoready Foundation (and some Revlon polish swatches)

For the time being, I've decided I need a foundation with a bit more coverage than Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (which I love but it just isn't doing enough for me at the minute) and as I'm a little unwilling to spend £20+ when I already have two Chanel foundations and a Clinique foundation just hanging around, I decided to go for Revlon Photoready...I think I actually meant to get Colorstay but ho hum, yet again I've made a foundation error.

I bought Nude which seems to be a good match for my skin and it seems like my foundation error has paid off. It covers enough without looking like I have too much make up on, and I actually feel like I look much more awake with this on which pleases me. I quite like the way it doesn't look too caked on as it's summer. I've read somewhere that this is too shimmery for some people but to be honest I'm not getting that it's shimmery when I wear it. Sometimes after application (I apply it with my fingers), I notice a bit of a shimmer on my hand if I've not washed it off yet. My boyfriend has actually also commented with how much "better my skin looks" - I didn't mention that I'm just wearing different make up!

I get a full days wear out of this which is great, I've not had to do any touchups other than a bit of powder. I have noticed that it can go a bit cakey on any dry skin after wearing it for a few hours but this just means I'm prepping my skin better to stop this. I also quite like the packaging, it's fairly inoffensive and the pump applicator is good, the bottle also isn't ridiculously heavy which is something that sometimes worries me about foundation bottles as I think I might smash them in my bag!

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with this foundation for the price - especially since Boots were doing 3 for 2 and I got two nail polishes too (Passion Fruit and All Fired Up, swatched below) - and I would buy again, it's actually tempted me to try out some other Revlon foundations etc which I've never really bothered with before!

Passion Fruit is meant to be scented but I don't get that from it at all, not like the Revlon Cotton Candy polish I reviewed last year! I actually bought it without realising it was scented, I just liked the colour.

Blonde Ambition

As a faux blonde, I'm constantly trying new ways to stop my hair from going brassy or the colour darkening. I've just had my full head of highlights (I'm quite bad at getting this done quite as regularly as I should) so I'm trying to start as I mean to go on - I thought I'd show you what I'm using on my hair at the moment to try and keep it in optimum bombshell condition. I'm also planning on just getting a whole head of blonde rather than highlights next time, so trying to keep it all as light as possible.


John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo and Conditioner



For me, the jury's out on whether this does anything much to my already-highlighted hair but it's not making it darker so I'm happy for now. I'll probably try something different once this runs out though, as I don't like the fact that the conditioner is yellow - I spend half my hair life trying to stop brassiness so it seems a bit mad to put something yellow on it as blonde hair can be pretty porous/dry and therefore absorbs other colours quite easily.


Provoke Touch of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo


This was a random Boots find, I was looking for a cheap purple shampoo as I figured it was probably a bit more cost effective than the Wella Toners & Shaders sachets I'd been using. It does its job, is a reasonable price and I might actually look into this range a bit more once I take the plunge and go even more blonde. I've seen good reviews of this and it's so much better than the Lee Stafford one I used which gave my hair a distinct tinge of blue rinse!


John Frieda Beautiful Blonde Ice Cool Platinum UV Shine Protector Spray




Blonde hair doesn't reflect light as well as darker hair so doesn't tend to look as shiny, plus my own hair is quite dry at the ends, so I use this to add a bit of shine and moisture to my hair without weighing it down or making it look darker. It works well, keeps my hair straighter for longer and adds shine - it smells nice and fresh too.


John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray




I've only used this once but it's definately made a colour difference to the parts of my hair that aren't highlighted. Expect a more thorough review on this one soon!


In addition I also use an intensive conditioner (usually an Aussie 3 Minute Miracle) at least once a week and either the spray or cream from the Aussie Take The Heat range before blowdrying. If anyone has any blonde-friendly tips I'd love to hear them!

I have a new Lush favourite to add to my list!

My favourite products from Lush goes a little something like this:

1. Lush Honeytrap Lip Balm


2. Snow Fairy Shower Gel


3. Butterball


4. Creamy Candy


5. Flosty Gritter (I don't think they make this any more, boo! I might have to start a petition or something!)


6. Buffy Scrub


7. Rock Star Soap

Mainly ridiculously sweet and girlie, yes? Well I have a new addition that isn't necessarily quite as sweet as those - Dragons Egg, I love it! It's a white circular bath bomb with little flashes of colour, when you get it in the water it fizzes and froths away, then bursts in an explosion of orange colour, as it fizzes a bit more, it has a gold centre like a little rock made from pyrite that then fizzes away. It smells lovely as well, very citrusy but with a hint of sweetness, like sherbert. The only downside is that it turns the water bright yellow (which looks a bit suspect!) and makes a mess of your bath at the end.

I've also got Mrs Whippy to try and after reading the Lush Times, I quite fancy Ultrabland cleanser as well, but I tend to stick with products I know and love from Lush as I tend to find when I wander, I don't like things as much (face masks, foundations etc).

Elegant Touch Limited Edition Matte Nails - Chocolate and Purple

I bought these on a whim from a tiny little Boots near my work when I was looking for something else. I know matte nails aren't as "in" as they once were, but I still love them and thought this would be an easy way to get perfect matte nails without any of the annoyances like chipping! I've been waiting to use them until my nails are a bit shorter.

And I really really like these - as I thought, they look like the perfect matte nails, actually so perfect they look either fake or professionally done, which isn't a bad thing I suppose. They were easy to apply and the glue held well. I would say that the Chocolate ones look more black or at the very most a dark charcoal grey with a bit of matte shimmer to it. I like the length too, they're not so short they look stubby but they're not so long they get caught on things.

I didn't bother with the gloss topcoat as it seemed a bit like it was just clear nail varnish - for me I liked the solid matte too much to change it, I had intended to do french tips witht he gloss but I didn't fancy it in the end. I might have a go when I'm getting a bit bored of the nails.

These nails cost £6.45 from Boots and I'll definately buy them again, I like them. I managed to ping a few off during wear, but this is something I expect with stick on nails when they're put under strain - I'd rather that than they snap my own nails off with them - and they survived plenty of washing dishes and clothes which is good!

Also, just to go off on a bit off a tangent, how do they size false nails, was there a study somewhere that worked out the size of the average nail?

Does anyone use Quidco?

I use it for pretty much every purchase I can! For those of you that don't know, Quidco is a legit cashback site based on referral links - so if you're buying something you visit Quidco first, search for that retailer then click through the Quidco link to be taken to the website. You can even do it for Ebay or things like mobile phone deals and they do money off vouchers too.

There's nothing dodgy about it and you don't even have to give your bank details, my payments are paid into my Paypal account so it just waits there to be spent on treats! My boyfriend thinks I'm a massive geek about it because I'm a little bit obsessive about going through Quidco for everything, but I just see it as a way to make money from things I'd have bought anyway. I think in the last 6 months or so I've made about £70, without buying or doing anything different than I would have regardless of Quidco. Better in my pocket!

I'm not affiliated with Quidco or anything, I just think it's a good idea and thought I'd share! You also get a little payment for recommending Quidco to friends as well, this is my referral link http://www.quidco.com/user/707796/ so if you're thinking of joining follow that link and I'll get a few pennies. No pressure though, if you'd rather type the Quidco URL in the address bar yourself, please feel free.

(I've actually just noticed from writing this post that you can register your card details with Quidco and you get cashback on purchases you make in shops as well....woo hoo!!!!!)

Isn't this picture pretty?

I've not really ventured into the world of Etsy properly yet, I've had a look around and I like the look of a lot of things, but I've not taken the plunge and actually bought anything! It's even harder than Ebay to browse if you're not really sure what you're after and some of the things on there are so unique I don't know how you'd ever find them!


But anyway, this picture is by an artist called Kristina Hultkrantz who is based in Stockholm and creates all sorts of girly pictures...McQueen shoes, Chanel 2.55 handbags, macaroons, pugs, perfumes, Louboutins etc etc. Basically all the good stuff! Check out the YSL Rouge Volupte on the poster above, now that's the kind of detail I like! You can see her Etsy store here


Another Etsy find of mine has been fimo canes in a playing card design...eeek! I know it's trashy but I have a weird love of tacky Vegas-y stuff. I must have been a gambler or a casino girl in a previous life (despite the fact I've never been to Vegas and don't understand card games other than Snap in this one).

Benefit Bella Bamba

If money was no object, I'd happily buy every Benefit blusher going because of how pretty they all look. But as they're quite pricey (and smaller than I thought), I limited myself to one. After swatching all of them whilst avoiding the sales assistant that was circling around me, I decided on Bella Bamba. Benefit describe Bella Bamba as a "3d watermelon blush laced with gold undertones."

With my general love of pink blush I expected to really love this but in actual fact, I don't really. The colour doesn't suit me, I just feel like it's a bit too bright and pigmented for my skin. It will maybe look better if I have a bit of a tan (fake or hopefully otherwise!). I can't really see the gold in it, or the "3d" effect.

I love the packaging which comes with a mirror and a little brush too. However the mirror is a bit pointless as it gets dusty quickly and because it's encased in the box it's a bit hard to see yourself in it. The brush is too stiff as well, I feel like it wastes a lot of product and that it picks up too much, which means my cheeks look a bit too pink! As a few other people have mentioned this is 8g of product whereas most of the other Benefit blushes are 11g which I think is a bit disappointing for the price. It is fairly longwearing though!

I don't think I'll be buying another Benefit blush, I think I'm going to repurchase the Pixi Lumi Lux palette that I've ran out of, I preferred the colour and the effect of that, plus I managed to find it a bit cheaper on Ebay than it is in Boots.

CND Shellac launching new colours in October

And whilst I like them, I still feel like the Shellac colours are quite "safe", with some of these being quite similar to existing Shellac colours - Purple Purple and Asphalt are my favourite new colours but I like the idea of Zillionaire too, it seems to be a "glitter" for layering which is something that I feel has been a bit missed in Shellac collections. I suppose the colours are kept quite neutral as they're so long lasting, there's only a limited amount of time you want a bright blue/green/yellow on your nails I suppose, and your average nail tech customer probably does go for something a bit more understated.

I've been looking at Gelish recently (which is a similar concept, but not the same) and they have a much more interesting colour range but aren't a solely professional product like Shellac and works slightly differently. Plus it's more expensive to buy (though the bottles are twice the size of a bottle of Shellac).

Anyway, the new CND Shellac colours will be coming out in Autumn in the UK, debuting at Olympia Beauty in September, then Professional Beauty North for us Northern ladies in October. Exciting!

Heal Gel - Advanced Formula Skin Therapy (for scars, inflammation, bruising etc)

Ok, here's my harrowing tale...in February, I fell over onto concrete and cut my knee open. I just cleaned it up, put a dressing on it and carried on - as a clumsy child and even clumsier adult I'm used to these kind of scrapes and bumps by now.

When I looked at it the next day I realised it probably needed stitched up (which means it was a LOT worse than I thought, and pretty horrendous looking) so I trotted off to A&E to be told that I'd missed the 12 hour window to get stitches as if there was any infection or dirt in there, they'd just be sewing it in. So, after months of it just being open, and having to dress it and be careful not to put pressure on it it's finally healed. And left quite a horrible scar in its wake. It's dark, wide and long - everything you don't want a scar to be. I won't post pictures or anything, don't worry!

So, I've been looking for ways to minimise the appearance of this scar. It can be covered with quite a lot of make up, but I'd rather not have to do that every time I get my legs out. Plus it's getting in the way of shaving my legs which is really not a good look!

I was sent a new healing gel to try. It's called HEAL and has been developed by five of the UK's leading plastic surgeons, known as The Firm (ooh-er!) and Colette Haydon, a leading chemist. They've combined their specialist knowledge and clinical experience in anti-ageing, healing and nanotechnology to create a formula that is anti-inflammatory, bruise-solving and improves scar maturation with a combination of active ingredients packaged and nanotechnology apparently!

Here's a slightly better bit of information from the press release:

HEAL combines a triple method of action which works to soothe the closed wound – using Arnica, Haloxyl and Glistin, to reduce heat sensation and discomfort; repair the damage – using Collaxyl protein fractions to promote cellular repair and optimise scar healing with Silicone. For the past two years The Firm have tested HEAL in their clinical practice, London Plastic Surgery Associates (www.lpsa.co.uk) where every year hundreds of patients have undergone facelift, rhinoplasty and breast surgery.

Here's a list of the ingredients, some of them are pretty well-known for their healing properties:

I do feel that this cream and the action of massaging it in has made a difference - my scar looks much flatter and lighter than it did, and my boyfriend has even commented that it's suddenly looking a lot better. It's also feeling less painful/tender than it was but this may well be down to the passing of time, as it's now been about 3 months since I first did it. I also liked that the gel feels very cooling when applied. I wasn't that keen on the packaging as I feel it looks quite clinical (plus it's a jar you have to dip your finger into) and it smells a bit herbal, but neither of these factors are really an issue for me. From my own personal experience, I would recommend this for others looking to improve the appearance of a fairly new-ish scar.


HEAL is available online at http://www.healgelshop.com/ and costs £33.50 for a 30 ml jar.

Since it's nearly payday...

...I've updated my wishlist, whether or not I actually buy any of this stuff is debatable but it's nice to do a bit of window shopping I suppose!

• Minx Oil Slick


• Lush Lemony Flutter


• Lanolips


• Benefit Bella Bamba


• Daniel Sandler Watercolour


• Leighton Denny Polish - Supermodel


• Clinique Chubby Stick - Watermelon


• Philosophy The Great Mystery


• Revlon Just Bitten Stain


• Max Factor Mini Polish - Diva Violet


• NARS Limited Edition Velvet Matte Lip Pencil - Bolero


• NARS Limited Edition Eyeshadow Duo - Dogon


• OPI Nail Apps - Hearts


• 38mm+ hair curlers


• OPI/Katy Perry Nail Polish - Teenage Dream


• Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer


• Lumos High Speed Topcoat

Is there anything here you highly recommend/that I should get first or anything that I really shouldn't bother with? If anyone could recommend a large barrel curling tong too that would be fab!

Another reason why I love ASOS...

...their ace ASOS magazine that they send out, it's like a proper magazine (and you can get it online to save trees!)

I saw these images in the June issue and straight away thought "love it!"...well done to whoever came up with those concepts. And I now really want the white and red heart OPI nail wraps, which I've not actually seen before. Amongst other things as I now note you can get Nars stuff on ASOS too.

Plus a few months ago they did an ace interview with Sophy Robson (nail art extraordinaire!), which I ripped out ready to scan then lost it somewhere in the big move. But luckily I found a link to the interview on this blog.

You can view ASOS Magazine here

What I'm using at the moment....

Left to Right

• Philosophy Melon Daiquiri - this smells really nice and is a shower gel/shampoo/bath bubble I've loved for a long time. I love Philosophy!



• Luciously Light Miracle Moist Conditioner - I quite like this, it was on offer in Tesco and it means I don't need to wash my hair every day. My boyfriends mam tried this as well and she really likes it as she has fine hair that she doesn't want weighed down. It smells lovely too!



• Lush Snow Fairy - a lovely sweet treat that I'm trying to make last as long as possible!



• Aussie Take The Heat 3 Minute Miracle - one of my beauty staples



• Aussie Take The Heat Shampoo - I don't think I'll buy this one again as I find it lathers weirdly and sometimes I have to shampoo twice to feel like I've done all of my hair. But it does smell nice.

Top to bottom, left to right:

• Opsys Contact Lenses - because I'm borderline blind!
  


• Clinique Superdefense Moisturiser - one of my favourite night moisturisers, it's quite rich, smells fresh and moisturises well



• Montagne Jeunesse - face masks and bits and pieces for a little pick me up when I'm in the bath



• Colgate Plax - minty fresh!



• YSL Elle Limited Edition 2010 - love this perfume, I've actualy bought a back up bottle because I love it so much



• Sanctuary Warming Scrub - lovely warming face scrub



• Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque - I wasn't as impressed with this as I thought I would be, after previously being seriously impressed with Dermalogica products



• Cotton buds



• No7 Eye Make Up Remover - favourite ever, quite oily if that's not your kind of thing though



• Mitchum Deodorant - for 48 hour freshness! :-)



• Sanctuary Youth Boosting Facial Oil - I tend to use this when my skin feels really dry or if I'm having a lazy day where I don't wear make up



• Perspirex deodorant - this is really good if you've got an event or if you want to significantly reduce sweating, it can sting quite a bit though so you have to use it properly
  

Let me know if you'd like to hear anything more about any of these products!

A tale of two Chanel foundations...Chanel Vitalumiere in 30 (Shell) and Vitalumiere Aqua in 20 (Beige Tendre)

Chanel Vitalumiere in 30 (Shell)

I bought this from duty free on the way back from Dublin after sneaking/stealing a sample from my flatmates copy of Glamour (sorry! It wasn't the right colour for you anyway!!). In hindsight I think the sample I tried may have been Vitalumiere Aqua as this bottle doesn't seem quite as fluid and light as the sample. And I also think I've bought a shade too dark and it all looks a bit patchy and orange on me which is a real pet hate of mine but I'll save it for hols or when I've got fake tan on. Let's just say I'm rubbish at buying foundations! The coverage on Vitalumiere is medium, but it definately is buildable.

This is the first Chanel product that I've bought, overall this foundation is ok, but I can't say I'm overwhelmed by it and I don't think I'll be repurchasing this one.

Chanel Vitalumiere in 20 (Beige Tendre)

I was bought this by my lovely Dad, again at Duty Free. Now this stuff is more like it - very fluid and light with a good dewy coverage (you do need to shake it before use as it needs mixed really). I actually got the right coverage this time and it makes me look nice and fresh faced, healthy and awake. It reminds me a lot of DiorSkin Nude, another water based foundation, and one of my faves. I think I prefer this kind of finish on my skin, especially as it can get quite dry. It also contains SPF 15.

The bottle looks teeny but the amount of product is no different (30ml) and is plastic with a nozzle, this is maybe not as luxurious as other high end foundations but it does mean it's easier to get in your make up bag and less likely to smash. tt comes in a fancy little Chanel cardboard box with a slightly pretentious leaflet in it, the leaflet does recommend applying with fingertips which is good as that's my preferred method of application anyway.

Now THIS foundation is definately the same as the sample I tried, and I would buy it again...probably only at Duty Free though as it is quite expensive!

P.S. Sorry for the rubbish pictures, my Blackberry camera is really not good.

I seem to have reverted back to my childhood...

I used to be a chronic nail biter from basically when I had teeth until the age of about 21. I'd bite my nails so far down my fingers were really sore and the skin around my nails were in tatters - my parents tried all sorts to stop me, paying for me to get a nice manicure, using that stuff that tastes awful when you bite (the urge to nibble was so strong that I got used to it), telling me off when I bit etc.

After shelling out hundreds of pounds on getting acrylic or gel nails done between about 16-21 (check out the disgusting pic of my false talons below, my hands look er, manly with those nails!) I finally saw the light, started to be properly interested in making the most of how I looked and just stopped biting with the help of plain old nail varnish, I liked the way it looked and thought it would look even better if I had long nails. So I just stopped biting and it turned out my nails looked quite nice a bit longer and were pretty strong.

Recently, at the grand old age of 24, I've been through some life changing events (both good and bad) coupled with the usual working-full-time-trying-to-have-a-life-studying-for-a-degree-balancing-everything stuff and I've reverted back to biting my nails quite badly again due to the stress (make of that what you will, amatuer psychologists) - once again they're really short and sore but I can't stop the compulsion to bite, even though I hate it and it looks awful!

But today's the day it stops. There's no need for me to do it, I don't like doing it, it hurts and I love having nice nails. So I've painted my nails/stumps today in Leighton Denny "Supermodel" (even though most of it is on my skin, not my nails), and I've been using cuticle oil with frightening regularity; I'm going to keep painting them in neutral colours until they get a bit longer and then I'll probably get another Shellac manicure to keep them looking strong and lovely until I can be trusted again!

Last day to enter my Hotel Chocolat Easter giveaway today!

You like Hotel Chocolat? You might want to enter my giveaway
for an amazing Hotel Chocolat egg!

My first experience with Shellac nails (in Rosebud)

Sorry my nail pics have all been swatched on a nail wheel of late, I've had Shellac on my nails for the last 2 weeks! The colour I had was Rosebud, a muted baby pink.

For those of you that haven't heard of Shellac, it's described as a gel/polish hybrid and that's definately what it is. Its applied like a polish (including base and topcoat) but "cured" with a UV light between each layer. After its all been done it looks lovely, have you ever applied a thick layer of polish that looks gorgeous but will never actually dry properly? That's what it's like but dry! The colour is really glossy thanks to the topcoat that's applied, and it looks like it should feel all gooey and jelly like but it doesn't, it's rock hard.

These nails lasted for 2 weeks and still looked really glossy with no tipwear, the only reason they looked a bit tired was because of a bit of a gap at the bottom where my nails had grown considerably. Having the Shellac on definately helped protect them and stopped them snapping/flaking too - I was doing washing up, having showers and baths, handwashing clothes, painting my toes, and at one point whacked my finger at such an angle that I thought the nail would be straight off, but it wasn't!

Since I actually enjoy painting my nails and changing the colours a few times a week (plus the fact my nails grow pretty quickly), I'm definately not going to be a full time Shellac convert but I'm still pretty amazed and pleased with it. Will definately be getting Shellac on my fingers and toes if I go on holiday (I think Tropix would look gorgeous on toes in summer), I never have the time or inclination to do my nails when I'm away. I'd also recommend this for anyone who's trying to grow their nails but doesn't want the committment of getting gel or acrylic nails or anyone who can't be bothered doing their nails all the time but still wants to look groomed.

I just found out that with my mani and pedi qualifications, I can actually buy Shellac from the supplier to use - I didn't realise, I thought I had to have gel qualifications. Someone hide my bank card please!

For details of salons doing Shellac near you, you can go to http://www.cnd.com/Locate/Shellac-Find-A-Salon.aspx.

Dear Batiste Dry Shampoo - Tones (light and blonde hair)

Dear Batiste Blonde,

I had high hopes for you, really I did. I went looking for you especially. As I'm not a natural blonde (shock, horror!), if I've got a bit of regrowth (ahem, dark roots) the normal white Batiste can look a bit dusty if it's not rubbed in properly and can sometimes show on photos if a flash is used. I tend to use Batiste a few times a week as I've got a bit of a grease-phobia when it comes to my hair, but I don't want to wash it every day as I have to do a lot of styling to tame it after washing.

From the first use of you, I could just tell it wasn't meant to be - you were very yellow toned and made my hair look brassy at the roots, I spend half my time on my hair making sure it doesn't look brassy or yellowy so this didn't bode well for me. I can't imagine that this would be so great if you had very light blonde or ash blonde hair, it would be too dark/yellow a colour - blonde hair runs a massive spectrum and I think it's maybe a bit overambitious to try and design a "catchall" product for blondes. But on a positive note, you're as effective as normal Batiste you smell alright but I'm sorry to say I think I'll be sticking with Batiste Brit, Diva or Boho.

Sorry - I hope we can still be friends.

Lucy